Functioning of Panels to be discussed
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 1: Legislative Assembly Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather has called a meeting of all nine Chairpersons of the House Committees in Srinagar tomorrow to discuss issues pertaining to working of the Panels set up recently by him.
The Speaker constituted House Committees few days back.
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Sources said Rather would discuss functioning of the Committees with the Chairpersons as Jammu and Kashmir is now a Union Territory and Business Rules of the Assembly underwent some changes before start of budget session of the Legislature on March 3.
However, as per the sources, only Chairpersons and not members of the Committees have been called for the meeting. The Chairpersons will brief the members when meeting of the Panel takes place.
Chairpersons of the House Committees called to the meeting convened by the Speaker include Shamim Firdous, Cchairperson Committee on Estimates, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Chairman Committee on Public Undertakings, Sajad Gani Lone, Chairman, Committee on Government Assurances, MY Tarigami, Chairman Committee on Environment, Surjeet Singh Slathia, Chairman Ethics Committee, Sham Lal Sharma, Chairman Committee on Public Accounts, Nizam-ud-Din Bhat, Chairman Committee on Privileges, Hasnain Masoodi, Chairman Committee on Subordinate Legislation and Pirzada Farooq Ahmad Shah, Chairman Committee on Petitions.
Tarigami, however, told the Excelsior that he will not be able to attend the meeting called by the Speaker tomorrow due to his prior political engagements outside Jammu and Kashmir.
The House Committees have been constituted to perform functions prescribed to them under the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in J&K Assembly.
“The meeting would discuss functioning of the Financial and other Committees,” the sources said.
In addition to the Chairpersons, other officials who have been requested to attend the meeting include Principal Accountant General, J&K; Commissioner Secretary to Government, General Administration Department; and the Secretary to Government Department of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.
The Committees have been constituted for the first time in the Legislature after Jammu and Kashmir became a Union Territory on August 5, 2019. The Assembly was constituted in October 2024 after first election to the UT Legislature.
First budget session of the Legislature was held from March 3 to April 9 while special session of the Legislature for a day was convened on April 28 in the wake of Pahalgam terror attack.
As per a notification issued by the Assembly Speaker earlier, the members of the three financial committees, viz. Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee, and Committee on Public Undertakings, were finalized without holding elections by following consensus among all the political parties.
The notification said a decision to form three important committees was made during the Assembly sitting held on March 25, 2025, where motions were adopted for the formation of the Public Accounts Committee, Estimates Committee and Committee on Public Undertakings.
It further said that no political party filed nomination within the given timeframe, prompting the Assembly to follow the principle of proportional representation and bypass the election process.
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